D.A.McDonald, G.Ruiters, «The Age Of Commodity: Water Privatization In Southern Africa»

We would like to thank all of the contributors to this book for their commitment to rigorous and critical research. We also want to thank our colleagues in the Municipal Services Project (MSP) for their assistance and support in the production of this book and for their ongoing dedication to related research topics:Moses Cloete, Hameda Deedat, Mthetho Xali, Rebecca Pointer, Emma Harvey, Ntswaki Moreane, John Pape, Leonard Gentle, Melanie Samson, Roger Ronnie, Jeff Rudin, David Hemson, Godfrey Musaka, Rene Loewenson, Morna Ballentyne and Jane Stinson. Special mention is due to Patrick Bond for his initiation of the regional research and his insights into privatization debates in general, as well to Liane Greeff of the Environmental Monitoring Group for first getting us to think about a collection on water privatization in the region.Meagan Freer and Christina Decarie spent many hours copy-editing material and we are grateful for their detailed work. Rob West from Earthscan has been an enthusiastic, professional and patient supporter. Maj Fiil-Flynn provided the photographs on the front and back covers of the book.Funding for research and publication came in large part from the International Development Research Centre of Canada (IDRC). We are particularly grateful to Christina Zarovsky and Jean-Michel Labatut of the IDRC for their ongoing support of the Municipal Services Project (www.queensu.ca/msp).This book is dedicated to all those in Southern Africa struggling for a more just and sustainable water future, be they public sector unions, social movements, non-governmental organizations, government officials or academics, and the innumerable informal groups and individuals who resist commodification on a daily basis as part of their everyday lives. It is with the latter that the ultimate site of anti-privatization struggle resides.